October 5, 2016

Written by Jeanne Mullgrav, Executive Vice President of Capalino+Company and leader of our Corporate Social Responsibility practice. To see how our team can help you implement an effective CSR strategy and take your business to the next level, contact Jeanne at jeanne@capalino.com.

Good times and good vibes. This weekend over 80,000 people headed to Queens for the inaugural Meadows Music and Arts Festival, which rocked Citi Field with tunes and foods representative of the historically diverse borough. For two full days, music fans and foodies joined headliners and local chefs for a quintessential Queens experience.

This success comes as no surprise from the company that brought us the Governors Ball, the hugely popular music festival on Randall’s Island. Founders Entertainment launched Governors Ball in 2011, and over the last six years has grown it into a top destination for music-lovers nationwide. As a result, Founders has become the premier entertainment company in NYC. Earlier this year they were acquired by Live Nation—the global leader in music and live events.

With so many events competing for attention in New York City, you might wonder what has made Founders Entertainment so special.

“Founders Entertainment’s commitment to serving the surrounding community is what gives it a competitive edge.”

Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR)

Founders Entertainment’s success is due in many ways to its strong reputation as a good corporate citizen. Year after year, Founders has proven its deep commitment to the residents of New York City. Their festivals aren’t just good for the artists or attendees, but also for the neighborhoods that host them.

In 2014, Capalino+Company’s Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) team worked with Founders Entertainment to launch a series of community initiatives around Governors Ball. They partnered with soup kitchens in East Harlem to offer free tickets to volunteers and created festival jobs for local residents. They hired local food vendors and prioritized minimizing waste and caring for the environment. Through the company’s charitable giving, volunteer events, community-oriented activities, and public and private partnerships, Governors Ball provided opportunities to many vulnerable NYC communities and set the standard for giving back.

“We have a very strong track record of being excellent community partners and working with all agencies, and just being honest business folk that give back to the local community. That’s something we became famous for at GovBall, we really created the model for it, and we’re doing the same thing here in Queens,” said Founders Entertainment CEO Tom Russell in an interview with Billboard days before the Meadows event.

It’s true – Founders Entertainment incorporated CSR into the planning, construction and implementation of Governors Ball and did it again with the Meadows Music and Arts Festival. The company’s commitment to serving the surrounding community is what gives it a competitive edge.

The Meadows Corporate Social Responsibility program included:

Opportunities to earn free tickets volunteering at soup kitchens

Designation of the New York Police and Fire Widows’ and Children’s Benefit Fund and the Queens Library as official charity partners, with a portion of festival proceeds benefiting their organizations

Sponsorship of the Far Rockaway RBI Little League

Support for the Queens Neighborhood Dinner of the New York Women’s Foundation

Local businesses benefited from the concert, as well. One of the best attended attractions at the Meadows was the “Feastival of Queens,” which showcased local restaurants and vendors while representing the diverse tastes of the community.

“We are proud to be linked to a festival where this culture and many others will be celebrated, and grateful to Founders Entertainment for appreciating our mission, and helping the Library sustain it,” said Queens Library President and CEO Dennis M. Walcott.

CSR has become an essential part of doing business nationwide, and this is especially true for companies in or entering New York’s competitive market. Companies who wish to succeed and sustain themselves are leveraging CSR as a way to differentiate themselves from the competition. Seventy-three percent of consumers across the 15 largest markets in the world are willing to recommend companies that are perceived to be delivering on Corporate Social Responsibility.

Lists like Corporate Responsibility Magazine’s ranking of America’s 100 Best Corporate Citizens in 2016 demonstrate the importance being placed on companies who strive to be good corporate citizens. In addition to the expectations that companies offer standard employee benefits, invest significant time in traditional marketing, and have robust business development plans, they are also expected to have a comprehensive CSR strategy.

Have you considered a CSR strategy for your business?

Capalino+Company assists companies doing business in New York City with actively giving back their time, talent and resources to the communities in which they operate. Our team will help you create a Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) agenda aligned with your company’s strengths and mission that boosts visibility and improves employee morale while strengthening connections to consumers and clients.

To see how Capalino+Company’s Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) team can take your business to the next level, contact Executive Vice President Jeanne Mullgrav at jeanne@capalino.com.

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